Previous attempts at beam layout include strip mode synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and scan mode SAR. In strip mode SAR, the radar device maintains a fixed pointing direction with respect to its heading direction. The area mapped by strip mode SAR is the product of the ground range swath of the radar beam and the along-track distance traveled by the beam platform (e.g., aircraft, spacecraft, etc.) over the mapping interval. Strip mode SAR is generally not efficient due to the constraints of aircraft speed, the extra radar range or Doppler bandwidth required at large squint angles to achieve equal resolution along each dimension (range/azimuth or along/cross track), and the lack of flexibility to follow area priority. In a scan mode SAR, the radar pointing direction is controlled to drift slowly along a straight line on the ground. However, this drift rate is constrained by the image resolution and the tolerable level of azimuth ambiguity. Scan mode SAR is generally not efficient due to the extra radar range or Doppler bandwidth required at large squint angles to achieve equal resolution along each dimension (range/azimuth or along/cross track) and the lack of flexibility to follow area priority. Thus, a need exists in the art for improved automated layout of beams.